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Friday, September 18, 2015

The number of farms involved in nontraditional activities increased over 2007-12

Nontraditional
farm activities involve innovative uses of farm resources, such as
growing/selling value-added products (such as fruit jams, preserves, cider,
wine, floral arrangements, and beef jerky), selling directly to consumers,
providing agritourism/recreational services, and using renewable energy
producing systems (such as solar panels, wind turbines, and biodiesel). The
number of farms engaged in these activities increased from 2007 to 2012, with
the largest growth in farms with renewable energy producing systems. In 2012,
about 57,000 U.S. farms produced renewable energy, more than double the
number in 2007. By 2012, 63 percent of renewable energy producing farms had
installed solar panels, which drives this increase. The number of farms that
had income from agritourism/recreation increased over the 5-year period by 42
percent, with the largest increase in smaller agritourism farms with annual
receipts under $5,000. In 2012, the top States in the share of farms
producing and selling value-added products were Vermont (14 percent), New
Hampshire (13 percent), and Maine and Rhode Island (with 11 percent each).
This chart updates one from the ERS report, Farm
Activities Associated With Rural Development Initiatives, ERR-134, May 2012.

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